Crystal Craig, Amy Lam charged with felony child neglect

Eight children were removed from this house, which deputies say was littered with rotten food and animal waste. Photo: Ben Rice.

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Eight children were removed from a Fredericksburg home Sunday after officers found squalid conditions and a nude child wandering around at a nearby convenience store, authorities say.

Spotsylvania County Sheriff's officials say that they were first alerted to the situation when employees at a Wawa convenience store in the 10700 block of Courthouse Road found the young girl walking around naked in the parking lot. When deputies arrived, the girl was able to point out her home.

Upon entering the home, officials say that deputies immediately noticed a strong odor of rotten food and animal waste. Seven more children, ranging in age from seven months to 16 years old, were also found inside. Deputies found animal droppings throughout the residents as well as rotted food in the kitchen.

Authorities called the conditions inside the home the worst they've ever seen in a home with children.

"There were just plain mattresses on the floor where the children were sleeping," Sheriff's Office spokesman Capt. Mike Harvey said. "There was a littler box beside one of the mattresses that was overflowing with cat feces. There were dog feces that had been stepped in."

Seven dogs and two kittens were also found inside the house.

The two adults who were at home at the time, 29-year-old Crystal Dawn Craig and 38-year-old Amy Elizabeth Lam, were both charged with multiple counts of felony child neglect. Authorities determined that three of the children belonged to Craig and the five others belonged to Lam.

Trash could be seen littered around the property on Monday afternoon. Two dogs were also tied up in the side yard, and the front door was boarded up as well.

All of the children were taken into protective custody and turned over to their grandmothers. Lam and Craig, meanwhile, are being held without bond.